Mexico Monte Alban

Flavour Notes

Blackcurrant, milk chocolate, tropical. A coffee that will cover both espresso and filter brewing.

Monte Alban is a thousand-year-old Zapotec ruin visible from the coffee farms nestled in the mountains around the site. Located near the city of Oaxaca, a renowned culinary destination in Mexico, the area's food culture has been influenced and perfected by its long and complex history.

Monte Alban was one of the earliest major urban centers of the Mesoamerican classical period, reaching its peak between 200-600 AD before declining around 800 AD. The Zapotecs, an advanced ancient civilization, made significant advancements in astronomy, writing, and medicine. After their mysterious departure, the site was used by other groups, including the Mixtecs, who recognized its spiritual significance and used it for burials.

This rich and intricate history lends a sense of magic to the region, connecting the past with the present through culture, artifacts, and the delightful coffee produced there. Coffee growers in this region have been cultivating coffee for more than three generations, using traditional and mostly organic methods. We have been working with these small communities to help certify their farms and add value to their products.

The organic farmers contributing to Monte Alban primarily depend on coffee cultivation as their main source of income. In addition to coffee, many farmers migrate to the coast during the off-season to grow corn or raise cattle, which are essential for their sustenance. Oaxaca, with its rich cultural diversity, includes farmers who speak Mixtec, Zapotec, Mazatec, and Spanish.

We began working with this group in 2018, starting with 55 independent organic farmers in the Sierra Sur de Oaxaca. As we expanded our Growers Education Program (PECA) across the state, we reached more remote communities, including Los Naranjos, Tierra Blanca, Malvarisco, San Pedro Pochutla, and Santa María Ozolotepec. By 2019, our reach had grown to 245 partner farmers, including communities like Lagunilla, Loma Canela, Ozolotepec, San Antonio Xanagua, San Antonio Ozolotepec, San Marcial Ozolotepec, and San Antonio Guivini, among others.

Today, all the farmers are certified organic, relying on traditional farming methods and processing without chemicals, and producing their own organic compost. For them, farming is a heritage rooted in generational knowledge and shaped by their unique culture and identity. The certification, funded by Caravela, is free for all associated farmers, enabling them to enter the specialty coffee market and secure better prices.